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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30033006">Pens and Paper Cranes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peach_and_bugs/pseuds/Peach_and_bugs'>Peach_and_bugs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Kindergarten Teacher, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, LGBTQ Characters, LGBTQ Female Character, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible smut, Reader-Insert, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, this is completely self-indulgent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:21:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30033006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peach_and_bugs/pseuds/Peach_and_bugs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>y/n lives a simple life in a little town, working as a Kindergarten teacher at the local elementary school. She enjoys her life and her job and isn't looking to change anything. That is until her Best friend Opal's "sister" (who y/n has never heard of) shows up and they continuously cross paths. Something about this strange, seemingly closed-off woman, entices y/n, leading her down a path to potential love or heartache.</p><p>or, </p><p>Kuvira is a mysterious woman returning to her hometown, determined to move on from her past, only to develop a crippling crush on an elementary school teacher.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Kuvira (Avatar) &amp; Reader, Kuvira (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Kuvira (Avatar)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Life hasn't been great for me at the moment and writing my other works has been rough, so I'm starting this to get back into my groove and also so that I can date Kuvira because that just makes everything better. There is little to no plan here, so hopefully, it won't go off the rails and you can enjoy it.</p><p>Tags will be added as I work. This is my first X Reader fic so I hope it's alright.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Alright friends, time to clean up! The bell’s going to ring in five minutes!” you call with a loud clap of your hands to get your student’s attention. A few of them respond before the chatter from before picks up again along with the addition of shuffling papers and art supplies as seasonal art projects are finished and put away. </p><p>You watch the kids for a moment, double-checking that your gaggle of five and six-year-olds are alright before turning to your own desk. You begin to organize, putting papers away to be passed out the next week and papers to be graded in your bag. </p><p>“Miss. y/l/n, we forgot something,” a small voice asks from the other side of the desk. You look up and catch that your students have already started packing up and getting their book bags ready to be picked up. You look down to who spoke and smile. </p><p>“What did you forget, Rori?” you ask in your “kid voice” as you file the rest of your papers into your messenger bag. Rori’s brother, Heno, stands beside her and pulls a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, and hands it to you.</p><p>“Mama and Daddy are both busy again, and Grama was also busy,”</p><p>“So are our uncles,” Heno pipes up.</p><p>“Yeah, they all had stuff to do. So our aunt is coming to get us today,” the six-year-old finished. You nod and smile, unwrapping the crumpled paper to find a neatly written note confirming that the twins will be picked up by someone new today. You nod and smile, reading the name “Kuvira” on the paper. </p><p>“Thank you for giving me this and telling me. I’ll walk you out to your aunt when she gets here, alright?” The twins nod together and you smile, letting the note fall on your desk. “Right, now get yourselves packed up,” You finish with a wave of your hand, sending the twins to collect their things. Outside the classroom’s frosted window, you can make out the gathering parents and guardians, ready to collect their children. </p><p>You finish tidying your desk, taking note to clean up the leftover bits of construction paper left on the floor before you, leave while your students chatter on about cartoons and Pokemon. (The card game had made a sudden resurgence amongst the school’s younger population recently). Checking the clock, you have about a minute before the bell rings and you're relieved from your teaching duties. </p><p>You make your way over to the classroom door, your students filing in a line to be dismissed into their guardian's arms. Rori and Heno wait in the back, knowing that they need to wait to be dismissed last. The bell rings and you open the door, unleashing the kids like a bull race.  </p><p>“Have a good weekend, guys! Be ready to start our new book next Monday!” you call as they leave the room. Some of them wave goodbye and tell you to also have a good weekend. Others stop and hug you before they run through the hall into the arms of trusted adults and a few older siblings from the high school. </p><p>Once the crowd clears, a tall woman is left standing with her arms crossed as she leans against a bulletin board mounted to the wall. Her dark hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail, a few stray hairs that seem to be old bangs brush over her forehead. She’s wearing a long, tan jacket that cuts off just above her knees over a cream button-up and a pair of charcoal grey slacks. She wears a pair of more fashionable, flannel-lined work boots to tie the look together. It’s a rather formal outfit for school pickup, but you figure that she must have other business to attend to. </p><p>The woman (who you assume is Kuvira) looks up from her phone when she notices that she is the only adult left outside the kindergarten class. She shoves the device into her pocket before leaning off of the wall, the paper wrestling as the pressure is gone. You catch her eye and she freezes for a moment like you've caught her doing something you weren't supposed to see. You give her a smile and nod.</p><p>“You must be Kuvira. Rori and Heno are getting their thing’s cleaned up and will be out in a minute.” the woman stays quiet, but nods in response to you. She turns her head and notices the wrinkled and slightly ripped paper of the bulletin board across from your room. Her lips part,  preparing to apologize when you wave her off.  “It’s alright. Happens all the time. Plus, I was going to redo it today anyway.” she nods and you catch a glimpse of relief in her gaze.</p><p>Rori and Heno finish packing up their things for the weekend and leave the classroom, approaching the woman with you. They don’t seem excited in the way they are with their other guardians, but they also don’t seem uncomfortable when they greet her. </p><p>“Are we walking home today, Aunt Kuvira?” Heno asks. Kuvira nods with a small, slightly forced smile. </p><p>“Yeah, I just need to talk to your teacher for a minute. Why don’t you guys go out to the playground? I’ll be there in a sec.” The kids nod before turning back to you and giving you a tight hug just below your waist due to their short stature. You smile with a small laugh, patting their backs and ruffling their hair with a squeeze as they look up at you with wide smiles, before letting go and heading to the kindergarten playground that connects to your classroom.</p><p>“Tell your mom and dad I say high and have a good weekend!” you call after them. The twins run back into your classroom and you hear the outside door click open and slam shut as they go out. You sigh with a smile and put your hands on your hips before returning your attention to the woman before you. “So, what can I do for you?” You ask with a chipper smile. You can tell Kuvira has been looking you up and down with a watchful eye and when you speak she seems surprised to have your attention. </p><p>“Opal said I should add my name to some kind of pick-up list. She also gave me this,” Kuvira explains, fishing a piece of paper from her pocket. She hands it to you and straightens her shoulder some. You unfold the paper, reading Opal’s handwriting once again. It's indeed a note permitting Kuvira to add her name to the kids' pickup list, just as she said. </p><p>“Right. We can make that happen. I’ll just need you to fill out some paperwork with contact information and your relation to the kid’s and you’ll be all set.” you explain, turning back to your classroom door and lead Kuvira inside. The motion sensor lights flicker on as you walk in and slide behind your desk to collect the paperwork you need. Kuvira follows you into the classroom and you catch her gazing around the colorful room out of the corner of your eye. </p><p>You don’t think you’d ever admit it, but you find yourself intrigued by this woman. Not in a creepy way though, (at least you hope it’s not creepy.) You've known Opal since your junior year of high school, yet you don’t recall hearing anything about a sister. Was it possible she was related to Bolin's side? You shake the thought away as you duck under your desk to find the paperwork. Once you find it you pop back up from behind your desk to find Kuvira standing right across from you, which you hadn’t been expecting. </p><p>“Here you are. Just fill that out and I’ll add you to Rori and Heno’s dismissal lists.” You explain, sliding the papers across the desk with a pen. Kuvira simply nods and begins filling out the papers without a word. Part of you wants to attempt conversation, but it's apparent that this woman is more of the quiet type, which you can respect.<br/>
You find yourself fidgeting with your fingers as your mind wanders and you watch Kuvira fill out the paperwork. The room went silent, except for the scribbling of the pen, allowing you to zone out into your own thoughts unintentionally. </p><p>“I don’t think you told me your name before,” You blink a few times, dragged out of your daze by Kuvira’s voice. You stare blankly at her for a moment before you smile with mild embarrassment and shake your head. </p><p>“Sorry, what did you ask me? I got lost in thought,” You confess, still fiddling with your hands. </p><p>“You never told me your name,” Kuvira askes again. There isn’t any hint of obvious annoyance in her tone, which you're grateful for, but you still struggle to get any kind of reading on her. She hands you the papers, but once you have them, her hand lingers for a moment. </p><p>“ y/l/n. y/n y/l/n.” you manage without stammering. She nods with a slight smile as she releases the papers. You take them in hand, holding them slightly tighter than you intended. There's an awkward, drawn-out silence before either of you speaks. </p><p>“Your classroom is nice. Lot’s of color,” Kuvira comments, her gaze drifting around the room once more. You smile and shrug.</p><p>“Color is kind of a requirement when teaching kindergarteners. If it’s not brightly colored then kids have little interest,” you say with a slight laugh. Kuvira smiles a little more with a quick exhale and hum in response as though she agrees. </p><p>“Well, I should be getting the kids home,” Kuvira says, ducking her head to glance past you and out the window as Rori and Heno run around the playground. You turn around on your heels and watch as Rori runs after her brother, nearly tripping herself in a fit of laughter. You smile and nod, turning back to Kuvira. </p><p>“I’ll walk you out,” You insist, sliding the papers back onto your desk. Walking her out is completely unnecessary, but you would prefer to be polite. You quickly walk around your desk and past Kuvira, heading towards the playground door. You can hear her boots following you close behind and she nods her thanks when you hold open the door for her. You slide outside behind and lean against the brick wall, watching as the twins stop playing and gather their things. </p><p>Heno insists on opening the playground gate, as Rori clasps onto Kuvira’s hand. You can tell that the woman bristles at the sudden touch, but she doesn’t pull away. The trio makes it past the gate and up the street, turning back to yell their goodbyes once more. </p><p>“By Miss. y/l/n!” The twins cheer in unison. You smile and wave to the excited twins. Your gaze catches Kuvira’s for a moment and she gives you a small wave of her own. You watch them leave and turn around the corner. Rori prattles on about her day in class while Heno drags a stick he picked up along with him, hitting it against fences and trees as he plays some game he likely made up. </p><p>You pull the outside door open and return to your classroom to clean up the remaining art supplies left out by the kids. When that’s finished, you return to the freshly filled-out paperwork on your desk. You ponder over it for a moment, thoughts wandering to this new mystery woman that's somehow related to your best friend. After a minute of biting your lower lip and tapping your foot, you file the paperwork away and pull out your phone. It’s about time you and Opal got together again anyways.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter for now. Like I said at the start, have a very loose plan right now that I can easily workaround, but ideas/suggestions for what you guys would want to read are greatly appreciated and welcomed.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>//TW//very brief mention of fertility treatments and early babies.//</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You hadn’t seen Opal in a few weeks, which was strange if you were being honest. She kept getting busy and calling off your weekly coffee meetups. You didn't mind this, but now you needed to see her. You had too many questions rattling around in your head after your short interaction with Kuvira that Opal would need to answer for. </p><p>
  <em> <strong>You: Are we on for coffee this weekend?</strong> </em>
</p><p>After no response, which you expected (Opal had become a much slower texter since she had the twins and started her small business) you toss your phone back in your bag and head out of your classroom. Once you stop to lock the door behind you, you spin around on your heels and head to your car. </p><p>The walk to the parking lot isn’t long and most of the other teachers have left by now, so you make it to your car without interacting with anyone. Some older students linger on the playground and wave to you as you walk by. </p><p>Once inside the car, your phone automatically connects, and a text message appears on the dashboard. </p><p>
  <em> <strong> Opal: I have time tomorrow at 10:20 am</strong> </em>
</p><p>You send her a thumbs up and with that settled, you pull out of the parking lot and head home for the weekend.</p><p>* * *</p><p>“So, how are my kids?” Opal asks you as you walk out of your local coffee spot, towards a table on the outdoor patio. You take a long sip of your drink before smiling at her with an arched brow. </p><p>“Oh, terrible. Heno drew all over his desk yesterday and Rori stuck gum in another girl’s hair,” You say nonchalantly with a sly smile as you both sit down. Opal laughs and rolls her eyes, sipping her own drink. </p><p>“Part of me can’t tell if you’re joking,” she quips with a thinly pressed smile. You laugh into your drink and settle into your seat, waving a hand at her. </p><p>“The twins are great, Opal. They don’t cause a problem and they’re two of the only kids who actually clean up after themselves. It’s rather impressive for their age,” you add, setting your drink down on the metal table between the two of you. “How are things with you and Bolin?” you ask, crossing your arms as you lean back in your chair. Opal sets down her drink and swallows a bite of the muffin she bought. She shrugs with a sigh, gesturing with her hand as she answers. </p><p>“We’re doing fine for the most part, but business is getting busy again, which is to be expected. It’s wedding season after all. We have two weddings this April, two more in May and possibly one in July. Bolin’s photographing three of them and helping me with scheduling and planning,” She sighs again and rubs her temple with closed eyes and a grimace. “It’s all just bad timing,” she grumbles. </p><p>You nod and take another sip of your drink as you listen. Opal and Bolin had started up their wedding planning business right before the twins had been born, and with a loan from Opal’s parents, they’ve really gotten it off of the ground and made something successful out of it. Opal loves her job and the weddings she plans, and she’s pretty accustomed to the stress of planning multiple events at once. But the stress she’s expressing now feels different. </p><p>Sure, five weddings within months of each other was a lot for anyone, but Opal works best under pressure. However, something is still off. You decide to leave your wondering alone and assure her that she will be alright. </p><p>“You’re great at this Opal. It sounds like a lot but I know you guys can handle it and make something beautiful for each of those couples,” you insist. She gives you a small smile in thanks as she sipped her drink. You grin at her and laugh, “and if you do get stressed, just remember you aren’t pregnant, so it can’t be like that wedding season when you were expecting the twins.” You joke. </p><p>You had meant it in a lighthearted way, expecting Opal to find it funny, but she seems to freeze at your words, hiding behind her drink. You look her up and down as silence falls between the two of you. She shrinks under your gaze and your eyes widen. You now note that she’d ordered a small black tea when she always got a large coffee. </p><p>Normally, you would hug her and express how exciting having another baby was, but Opal didn’t seem excited about the situation. You reach your hand across the table as she glances away and take her hand into yours, giving her a reassuring squeeze that says things would be alright.</p><p>“Opal. Talk to me,” is all you can say as you stare at each other. She sighs, squeezing your hand back in thanks as she runs her other hand through her hair. She’s shaky, but she’s keeping it together. That’s a good sign for now.</p><p>“We weren’t <em>not </em>trying to have another baby. We both agreed that another would be nice and we could try a few times for fun before really getting serious about the diction. In hindsight that was a dumb decision.” she sighs with a shaky laugh before she goes on. “We- I just thought that it would take longer. The twins took almost a year with fertility treatments and it was another two months before I had realized I was even pregnant with them. And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy it didn’t take long like last time. I just wish…” she stops to ponder how she wants to word her thoughts. </p><p>“You would have liked it to take a little longer.” You finish for her. She meets your eyes and nods before she manages to laugh. </p><p>“Bolin and I have always been bad at timing, haven’t we?” she laughs as she wipes a single tear from her cheek. You give her a soft smile before nodding with a small laugh of your own. You’re both pulled into a comfortable quiet again, just without the tension from before. </p><p>“How did Bo react?” you ask. </p><p>“He acted like Bo. I told him and he yelled about how excited he was. Picked me up and spun me around. He’s already started talking to the baby.” </p><p>“How far along are you?” </p><p>“Just passed the two-month mark.” you nod with another smile. </p><p>“If you need anything at all. Babysitting, someone to go grocery shopping or someone to make dinner, you call me, alright?” you insist. Opal rolls her eyes but nods.</p><p>“I know, I know. I already heard all that from my mother,” she laughs. You gasp and let go of her hand, pressing it to your chest as though you're clutching invisible pearls. </p><p>“You told your mom before me?” you say with obviously fake hurt. </p><p>“I didn’t even tell her! She came by to see the twins and with one look at me just knew!” she laughs with you.</p><p>“Your mom was pregnant four times. Makes sense she would know,” you add when an idea comes to mind. </p><p>“Do you want me to throw you a shower this time around?” Opal gives you an unsure look, arching her brow. </p><p>“Isn’t it strange to have a shower for your second pregnancy?”</p><p>“Not when you didn't get one for your first.” she doesn’t seem convinced. “Come on. You found out about the twins late and then had them so early there wasn’t time for a shower. But now, we know and we can plan. It’ll be fun too!” you plead. </p><p>“I don’t want you to go through the trouble-” she starts but you bat her shoulder to stop her. </p><p>“Quit being so selfless! If anyone deserves a little celebration for being an amazing woman and mother, it's you! I’d be honored to throw you a shower,” she laughs and gives in. </p><p>“Fine, but nothing crazy. Keep it small, simple, and casual, she insists with a terrible serious face. You lean across the table with a smug look and shake your head. </p><p>“I think you know that those words aren’t part of my vocabulary.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>The conversation goes on when you’re reminded of one of your motivations for meeting with Opal. </p><p>“So, tell me about Kuvira,” you ask, trying to come across as casual. Opal can clearly see through you and arches a brow with a grin. </p><p>“Why? Are you interested in her or something?” She asks. She isn’t giving you a lot to work with here, and you know she’s trying to trap you somehow. You look at her with mocking surprise.</p><p>“A strange woman that I've never seen or heard of ever, even after knowing you through half of high school, shows up and is somehow the twin’s aunt shows up to get them. Of course, I'm interested in some backstory.” In your head, you pat yourself on the back for avoiding her road black. Opal stays quiet for a moment, pondering her response. </p><p>“She’s my older sister. Adopted, but still my sister. We never got along as kids and when she was about to graduate high school, she had a falling out with the family. Mostly with my mom, but it affected all of us. She joined the Marines after graduation and we didn’t hear from her till now.” Opal explains. You nod, but don’t say anything. It makes more sense why you didn’t hear about her before. You hadn’t moved and met Opal till after Kuvira graduated and left.</p><p>“Something happened while she served. She won't say but it must have been bad. She’s different, that's for sure. But she emailed me a few months ago and wanted to try again. She’s going to college now, she’s reconnecting with our family and she’s trying to get to know the kids.” </p><p>“What do you think about it?” you ask. Opal shrugs. </p><p>“I’m not too sure just yet. We might not have parted on good terms, but I think she’s making a good attempt to mend things. She wouldn’t ever admit it, but I think whatever happened messed with her and she needs whatever support she can get. I’m just glad she’s turning to family instead of something else.” You nod again when Opal’s phone chimes with a text. </p><p>“I gotta go. I've got a meeting I forgot about,” she says as she stands up, collecting her things. You stand and follow suit. </p><p>“It was great seeing you, Opal. And don’t forget, I’m here if you need me,” You insist, dragging her into a tight hug. You can feel her smile on your shoulder as she squeezes you back. </p><p>“I’ll take you up on that. You’re far less clingy than my mother when I ask her for help,” she says with a wink as she pulls away from the hug. With that, she waves and heads towards her car, as you head in the opposite direction.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated! Have a wonderful day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When people ask you what you do for work and you tell them that you’re a kindergarten teacher, the general reaction is something along the lines of “Oh! You must have so much fun!” or, “I bet your schedule is nice.” While both may be true, these same people seem to forget that you are in charge of around 25 kids that aren't your own, and you are required to be their English, math, science, and history teacher, plus art teacher on occasion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another part of being a kindergarten that most don’t realize is that the school can’t provide all the craft supplies you need for your class of about 25. With that in mind, you have biweekly orders in place at the local craft shop in town. You’re lucky in this regard, however. You’ve known the owners of this shop since high school and happen to teach one of their kids, and they are gracious enough to give you a discount. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s a Sunday afternoon and you just finished doing your shopping for the week in town. Groceries have been packed in the back of your car and you've parked outside of the said craft shop, which is creatively named </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pens and Paper Cranes. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You aren’t fully paying attention as you walk up to the counter, assuming that you are the only pattern in the shop at the moment. Leaning across the counter you peek into the back room and catch Reggie’s eye. He smiles and waves to you and you wave back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me just a second, y/n. I’m finishing up your order right now,” He calls. You nod and smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.” You call back. You wait at the counter for a few moments when you hear Reggie pick up a phone call in the back room. It seems like your order is going to take a little longer than expected, so you turn on your heels to peruse the small shop some. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reggie and Mark generally get new nick nacks and supplies now and then, so you try and make a habit to check what’s new when you can. You make your way over to the paper section to find a few new sets of watercolor notebooks, as well as new floral origami paper. You pick up the origami paper and flip it over to look at the samples on the back. Each design is a different flower with an assigned color. There are eight designs, and you can’t help being tempted by them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You peek your head around the shelves to get a look at the front desk, finding that it is indeed empty. Looking in the other direction once more, just to be safe, you smile to yourself and gently open the small box that contains the paper. It isn’t wrapped in plastic or anything, so as long as you don't wrinkle the papers no one would notice. You've always lived by the rule that you won't buy paper or notebooks without getting a feel of the paper first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s thin and smooth under your fingertips, and the colors are even more vibrant in person than they are on the box. You delicately thumb through the papers, admiring the designs up close and getting ideas for what you could use them for. Of course, you already had unused origami paper at home, but this pack was just so pretty-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you allowed to be doing that?” a voice interrupts and you nearly jump out of your skin. The papers flutter back into their box which is abruptly shut and pressed into your chest as you suck in a sudden breath. In front of you is another person, their clothing wrinkled and damp. You don’t recall it raining when you arrived. Looking up, you meet the stranger’s face only to realize it isn’t a stranger. Well, not completely a stranger, but they still don’t belong to a friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You meet Kuvira’s green gaze, which is locked with your own, and if you didn't already feel caught, you did now. Blinking quickly you collect yourself with a swallow and manage a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kuvira, you startled me,” you say with an awkward laugh. Awkward was an understatement. She seemed surprised by your reaction, blinking herself and arching a brow. You laugh again, thinking quickly before you wave a hand. “It’s fine. My fault. I was lost in my little world…” you murmured. Your gaze travels down to your shoes and you tug at the baby hairs that line the back of your neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s pretty,” she murmurs, gesturing towards the paper in your hand. It seems like a forced comment, but it’s better than silence. You look up at her with a small smile, gripping the box of papers a little closer to you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you interested in origami?” you ask after a beat. She shrugs and turns towards the papers lining the wall in front of you. You do the same and now find that you're standing shoulder to shoulder with her now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but I’ve done it before,” she says, running her fingertips over the pages of a mixed media sketchbook. You nod and face the wall again, catching glances from your peripheral vision as she shops. She does the same thing with a few other sketchbooks before she catches you staring. “I don’t like buying paper without getting a feel for it first,” she says simply, not making direct eye contact with you when she speaks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can attest to that,” you murmur, running a thumb over the origami paper box still in your hand. You hate to admit it, but you find something about her blunt, quiet demeanor to be alluring in some strange way. You watch as she tucks a sketchbook under her arm and goes to grab another one. You bite your bottom lip, contemplating your next remark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, y/n! You’re order’s all done!” a sing-song voice calls from the front desk. Your head whips around and you smile when your gaze meets Reggie’s as he wrings up your order as he leans on the cash counter. You glance back at Kuvira who you swear darts her gaze away from you before heading towards Reggie. You slide the origami paper towards him in addition to your order and he gives you a grin, leaning forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you know her?” he asked and you blink, trying to play dumb. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” you murmur. Reggie gives you a knowing look and leaning back, stretching his back out before he scans the paper for you. You fumble with your wallet as he goes on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty sure that’s the adopted Beifong girl that went missing after graduation. I heard rumors she was back, but I didn’t believe it at first,” he whispers. You pay no mind and pull out your debit card, handing it to him without any extra word. “You're still close with Opal. Did she give any explanation for it?” he asked with interest. You give him a hard glare and bite the inside of your cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not my business Reggie,” you insist as he takes your card. He looks you up and down before shrugging, signaling his loss of interest. He rings you up, you pile your things into your arms and head for the door, taking note that Kuvira left the paper section. When you glance around the small store you can’t seem to find her either. She must have slipped out while you were paying. You can't help feel disappointed by the thought for whatever reason. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You sigh to yourself and fumble with the door as you go to leave. However, the box of supplies makes it hard to maneuver the door open. After a few tries, you grow frustrated and force your hip into the door, sending it flying open. The sudden force makes you lose your balance and you stumble out into the rain. For a fleeting moment, you expect the box to fly out of your arms and into the rain, but you get caught suddenly, the box forcefully getting shoved back into your arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You blink with a harsh exhale, collecting yourself to meet Kuvira again. Rain drips around the both of you, dampening your hair, but you're frozen once more. Kuvira’s still shoving the box into your arms and you’re still surprised from your near fall. She removes the pressure on the box and you adjust in your arms, nervously smiling at her for the second time today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, thanks for that,” you mumble and she nods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s no problem,” she adds. You’re stuck in a silent stalemate, unsure of what the other is intending to do or could possibly be thinking. “Well, I’ve got to go…” she murmurs, turning to leave and in a seemingly frantic moment you blink and open your mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to get coffee!” you yell suddenly without any form of forethought. She stops and turns around, that same surprised look from before on her face. “Sometime. Would you want to get coffee, sometime, I mean…” you add, trying to save yourself from some of the bubbling embarrassment that threatens to break into your complexion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s silent, unmoving, and you have no doubt that you've freaked her out and she’s never going to talk to you again. But then the smallest, almost unnoticeable smile breaks through and she gives a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds nice, sometimes,” she hums. You briefly think you imagined the entire interaction when she begins to leave through the rain.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>so, it's been a minute. I'm not going into any detail, but thing's have been pretty stressful with the end of the school year and my mental health + friend situation hasn't been the best. I've been doing online school all year and didn't have many friends, to begin with, but I've kind of been all on my own for the past few months. I'm realizing that I'm likely never going to get the friendship that I crave from my school peers because of the exclusionary environment we've all grown up in and that's really sucked. </p><p>I've also been having a really hard time with sticky keys on my computer, so that's been making me unmotivated to write. I'm hopefully getting that fixed next weekend, and I really want to work on my ITIDAH rewrite, so hopefully, the new first chapter of that will be up soon. I will be finishing Tenzin's Girl eventually too! I've had some writer's block for the last few chapters, but I'll work through it. </p><p>Thank you all for your kind words and patience with these fics. I wasn't a fanfiction reader or writer till the pandemic started and all the love I've gotten here has been so helpful in this darker period in time, so thank you &lt;3</p><p>Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated! Have a wonderful day!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments and Kudos are really appreciated and motivate me to write more. :3 &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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